We last saw Erickson in person, busy herding writers in "Bloggers' Row"—a large room full of conservative pundits who had come to D.C. to cover the recent Conservative Political Action Conference. This reporter decided she would get better material with the conservative bloggers than in the main media room, so that's where I camped out too. It was Erickson who got everyone's wireless working, so it's hard not to vouch for the guy as a team player. He was also the mastermind behind a private chat between conservative bloggers and Marco Rubio shortly after Rubio wowed the crowds and got all the conservatives talking about how they wished Rubio would run for president.

According to the CNN release: "Erick's a perfect fit for 'John King, USA,' because not only is he an agenda-setter whose words are closely watched in Washington, but as a person who still lives in small-town America, Erick is in touch with the very people John hopes to reach," said Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. "With Erick's exceptional knowledge of politics, as well as his role as a conservative opinion leader, he will add an important voice to CNN's ideologically diverse group of political contributors."